Fungicide



. Patented June" 8,. '1 926. V

UlNlTED STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

wrnnuuu MOORE, or cnAPrAcuA, NEW 12031:, AND comvnmus n. VREELAND, or

. VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.

ruNeIcInE.

This invention relates to fungicides, more particularly to a method of and means-for greatly increasing the effectiveness of fungicides now on the market.

In the 1,376,153, dated April 26, 1921, for insecticides, is described an insecticide of the arsenical type having increased effectiveness. The action thereof is based upon the fact that various substances when wetted with Water take on either a positive or a negative electric charge, generally the latter. Among these, the foliage of all plants has a negative electric charge when wet and advantage is taken of this characteristic to cause the insecticide to adhere to the plant. .Ordinarily, an arsenical insecticide has a negative charge and, therefore, is repelled by the plant and to overcome this the same is treated in such a manner as to give it a positive charge,thus causing it to stick to the plant by the attraction of the unlike charges, regardless of weather conditions. y

This is accomplished by causing theinsecticide to adsorb a'metallic ion having a positive charge. An arsenical, such as Paris green or lead a'rsenate, is suspended in water and istreated with ferric'hydroxide suspended in Water, the ferric ion is adsorbed by the arsenical giving it a positive charge. Preferably,.the positive charge is given to the arsenical at the time it is made by first providing a solution of say sodium arsenate and then adding the same to a solution of ferric chloride to form a precipitate, which consists essentially of ferric arsenate containing an adsorbed ferric ion, giving it a positive charge.

We have now discovered, after a long series of experiments, that the principles set forth in the patent, above identified, are applicable to fungicides of various types, bothorganic and inorganic, such as copper compounds.- For example we may take Bor-v deaux mixture and suspend thev same 1n water, adding thereto a solution of calcium acetate, which is adsorbed by thecopper compound, or otherwise associated therewith, giving it apositive charge.

A 'slmilar result may be obtained even more effectively by giving the Bordeaux mixture a positive charge at the time it is made.

water so as to provide a solution having a patent to William Moore, No.

here to the plant to be protected.

In this case we may take 1200' pounds of blue vitriol and dissolve it in Application filed March 30,1925. "Serial No. 19,497.

specific gravity of 1.083 and mix therewith a. volume of milk of lime of about 258 gallons and which has a specific gravity of 1.091,

these amounts being sufiicient to give about 1270 pounds .of dried product. Tothe precipitated mixture formed, before drying, there is added an amount of :a-s'olution of calcium acetate, calculated 'on'the dry basis, equal to about 5% of the weight of the dried, final product. The calcium acetate being a combination of a strong base and a weak acid will give, in solution, a preponderance of positlvely charged calcium ions which will impart a positive charge to the fungicide and thus cause. the, same to ad- Instead of adding calcium acetate to theprecipitated Bordeaux mixture, we may simply add a sufficient amount of acetic acid, or the like thereto, to obtain a similar result.

Although we have-described our invention setting forth a specific example thereof relating to the man'ufactureof Bordeaux mixture, it is to be understood that our invention is not limited thereto asit will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without de-.

parting from the principles set forth. For

instance, we may substitute for the Bordeaux mixture a compound of a metal having fungicidal properties and we may even use a fungicide of organic origin. Salts having other acid radicles may be used, provided the acid is ionized-to a lesser degree than the metal. Salts of metals other than calcium are ada ted to our invention and we have successfully used the acetates of copperand aluminium in place of calcium, the aluminium salt be- 1 mg probably preferable over the others.

The character of the acetates has a marked influence on the production of a positive charge,- and the acetates of calcium, aluminium and copper,may be made of a less basic character and therefore will impart a greater positive'charge to the'fungicide.

By the term positively charged ion used in the claims, we do not limit ourselves to the actual presence in the material of free positive ions, but we intend the term to include 'thepresence of a. substance, either in the ionized or in molecular form, which is capable of producing, when, wetted, a suflicientnumber of positive ions to impart a positive character to the fungiclde. By the .term weak acid.we intend to include an be classed acid which may not necessaril I with the weak acids, but which 1s weak relative to the metal with which it is associated.

The expression precipitating, the same with, used in some of the claims, does not necessarily mean the simultaneous precipitation of the insoluble fungicidal compound withthe material providin the positive ions, as it is apparent that t e latter material may be applied to the fungicide at any of several stages in the manufacture thereof, as described in the specification. These and other changes may be made in the detailscopper compound having an adsorbed positively charged ion obtained from an excess of a soluble calmium salt of a weak acid.

I 4. A fungicide comprising an insoluble copper compound containing a soluble salt of a weak acid.

5. A fungicide comprisin Bordeaux mixture'containing an adsorbe calcium ion.

comprises providing a solution of a salt of a metalJhaving fungicidal properties, precipi tating an'insoluble compound of said metal the precipitate.

and adding to it a small quantity of a soluble salt of a weak acid.

Y 8. A method of making fungicides which comprises providing a solution of a salt of copper, precipitating an insoluble compound of copper and adding to it a small quantity of a soluble salt of a Weak acid.

9. A method of making fungicides which comprises providing a solution of a salt of copper, precipitating an insoluble compound of copper with an excessof milk of lime and adding to it a small quantity of a calcium salt of a weak acid.

10. A method of making fungicides which comprises providing a solution of copper sulphate, adding lime thereto to precipitate the copper, and adding calcium acetate to v 11. A method comprises-providing a solution of copper sulphate, adding-lime thereto to precipitate the copper, and adding about 5% of calcium acetate to the precipitate.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

WILLIAM 'MOORE.

CORNELIUS D. VREELAND.

of making fungicides which. 

